No-Churn Pineapple & Coconut Ice Cream

I love to cook when it's sunny. I become so inspired to make colourful, happy food because I feel happy. And today, on yet another sunny, warm day, I chose to put together something happy, honest and reminiscent of vacation - perfect for a day off!

Pineapple and Coconut could paint anybody an image of a warmer climate. You wouldn't imagine somebody wading through snow to their mountain cottage before tucking into a pineapple! They just don't belong to that setting. Where they do belong though, is tropical locations and exotic holidays, if you've had the luxury of experiencing one. You've probably encountered this pineapple and coconut combination in the famous Piña Colada cocktail. It's a trademark of relaxation and vacation!

In my fresher year of university, I made a lot of ice cream; low-fat, low-carb, soya ice cream, fro-yo - the lot! Before I forked out for an ice cream churner, I tried and failed many times at making a smooth, scoopable ice cream that didn't require any churning or machinery. A lot of the time I just ended with a block of ice.

To make no-churn ice cream, you need the right balance of sugar and fat so that the ice cream will remain in a constant, crystal-free liquid state, even in a -18°c freezer! I tried different ingredients and recipes, and eventually found a 'Goldilocks' balance. The recipe requires no churning, so you literally have nothing holding you back from making it yourself - unless you don't have a freezer!

This sunny, refreshing ice cream requires no churning. If you do have an ice cream churner, by all means use it. I should say, if you're not churning, you won't quite get a silky smooth texture like store-bought ice cream, but you will get have a delightfully creamy dessert without any compromise on flavour!

Make sure to keep a wedge for yourself. All this chopping should honour you with a tasty treat!

2) That's the tedious bit done! It's all downhill from here. Open your can of coconut milk and admire its pure white, whippy texture.

You need to use the full-fat coconut milk, not the reduced fat one. The natural coconut fat is vital for making a smooth, dense ice cream. This really won't work without it.

Empty the whole can of coconut milk into your pineapple. Holy tropical delight!

3) Now add in your yoghurt and mix until it's all combined.

4) Now we're going to blend it all together. Whizz it all together in a blender or with a stick-blender until the pineapple chunks are completely annihilated.

5) Mix in your 6 tablespoons of icing sugar, and blitz once again to eradicate any sugary nuggets. It'll become pretty thick and glossy! Icing sugar increases the melting point of the ice cream, so when you take it out of the freezer, you'll have a workable ice cream without waiting too long for it to thaw.

6) Pour your ice cream mix into a container and freeze it for a good few hours.

Your work is officially done!

7) Once it's frozen through, you can remove it from the freezer. Leave it for about 10-15 minutes to thaw slightly before scooping and serving into bowls.

Try adding a giant scoop to a tall glass of lemonade for a sparkly summer slingback!

But on this occasion, I just blended a few scoops into some milk for a delicate tropical smoothie.